french VANILLA creams with mango salad

These are basically crème brûlées, but with a lemon passion fruit glaze instead of the brûlée topping. You can also make this mixture in one 900ml (1½-pint) large shallow dish, which will take 30–40 minutes to cook. Here we have made an attractive platter by serving the creams and salad with thin slices of Chocolate Marquise.

SERVES 4 – 6

4 egg yolks

25g (1 oz) caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

600ml (1 pint) single cream

FOR THE LEMON PASSION GLAZE

1 large passion fruit

2 – 3 tablespoons luxury lemon curd

TO SERVE

1 large mango

1 passion fruit

Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/gas 4. You will need 12 very small ramekins (size 3) or 6 larger (size 1) ramekins.

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla together in a bowl until combined.

Measure the single cream into a saucepan and heat over a low heat until hand-hot. Pour the hot cream on to the egg mixture and whisk by hand until smooth.

Tip into a jug (to make pouring easier) and pour into the ramekins. Arrange in a roasting tin and pour boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes for the small ones and 25 minutes for the larger, until almost set but still with a wobbly centre. Leave to cool in the roasting tin.

Remove from the tin and chill in the fridge until firm.

These vanilla creams can be made up to 24 hours ahead. They are not suitable for freezing.

To make the lemon passion topping, scoop out the seeds from the passion fruit and mix together with the lemon curd. Spoon over the cold set vanilla creams (in their ramekins) and chill until needed.

To serve, dice the mango into tiny pieces, about the size of raisins and mix with the pips from the other passion fruit.

Arrange the ramekins on a plate and serve a little mango and passion fruit mixture alongside.

AGA COOKING Slide on to the lower set of runners in the roasting oven for about 8 minutes. Transfer to the simmering oven for a further 45 minutes until just set.